Tasks

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) is an organisationally independent scientific-technical higher federal authority in the portfolio of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

History and development of the BfS

The BfS was established in 1989, among others as a consequence of the reactor accident in Chernobyl in 1986, with the objective to pool competencies in the fields of radiation protection, nuclear safety, transport and storage of nuclear fuels, and radioactive waste disposal.

In 2016, the legislator adapted the governmental institutions to the current developments and responsibilities. The consequence for the BfS was that it is now focussing on the federal tasks of radiation protection:

The representation of the Federal Republic of Germany in national and international scientific societies and committees, and

The communication and co-operation in technical issues with public institutions and the population.

To determine and further develop the state of the art of science and technology, own research is carried out and projects are designed, professionally assisted and implemented in the scope of the national environment research programme.

The two divisions "Emergency Preparedness & Response" and "Environmental Radioactivity" carry out scientific and administrative tasks in the field of radiation protection. The work mainly focusses on the solution of practical radiation protection problems. Particular priority is attached to

The determination and monitoring of radiation exposures due to natural and artificial radiation sources using corresponding scientific methods,